Tributes have been paid to a "lovable rogue" who was found dead in a Tesco toilet at the age of just 27.

Daniel Carroll, who had links to Plymouth , died after his life descended into a cycle of petty crime and drug abuse, an inquest heard into his death heard.

Mr Carroll, better known as Danny, was a father of two and a fisherman. He was found dead with his trousers around his ankles and surrounded by drug paraphernalia on the floor in the disabled toilet of Tesco in Camborne in Cornwall on October 5 last year.

An inquest into the death of the former Helston Community College pupil was told that since his release from HMP Exeter in the August before his death in October, Mr Carroll had sofa surfed with friends in the Camborne area and had also previously lived in Truro and Helston, our sister site Cornwall Live reports .

A cause of death was recorded by a pathologist as combined toxicity of heroin and other central nervous system depressants which included various street and non-prescription drugs as well as alcohol.

Giving evidence during the inquest, Mr Carroll’s father Andrew confirmed that his son was one of four children and lost his mother from breast cancer when he was 12.

Mr Carroll said: “He left home at 15 or 16 because he was partying hard and knew I’d never allow cannabis in the house. He worked hard (as a fisherman), played hard and was generous and liked to treat his girlfriend to hotels and nice meals.

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“I became aware he was using heroin, his behaviour changed and he became involved in crime. Social services became involved and he was no longer able to see his children. This upset him deeply and he was then in and out of prison for shoplifting to feed his habit.

“His last fishing trip was eight months before he died. He worked on boats in and out of Falmouth and would have made a brilliant skipper.

“He was released from Exeter and spoke of sorting himself out. He looked well, wanted to get back to work and hopefully see his children again.”

The inquest then heard a statement from Lara Pascoe, a housekeeper at Camborne Tesco store.

The body was found in the toilets of Tesco Camborne

She confirmed that the toilets were last checked on October 4 prior to 4pm when the cleaners finished, even though the store shut at 10pm that night.

Ms Pascoe said that the following day she went to clean the toilets and found the disabled cubicle locked but this was “nothing unusual as often it was locked for maintenance issues”.

After becoming increasingly concerned and knocking on the door, the toilet door was forced open to reveal Mr Carroll lying on the floor. It had been locked from the inside.

Detective Constable Becky Hughes, from Camborne CID, outlined how store CCTV footage didn’t show Mr Carroll entering the store, but did depict a man putting a bag found containing Mr Carroll’s belongings in the foyer on the evening of October 4 and not returning to collect it. When he was found it was estimated Mr Carroll had been dead for quite some time and DC Hughes said it was likely he was the man who placed the bag.

Mr Carroll’s brother Matthew Carroll also gave evidence via a video-link from prison where he is serving a sentence for armed robbery.

He said: “He was a lovable rogue and had a heart of gold. He just wanted to be loved. He partied a lot and did things he shouldn’t of but he was a brilliant fisherman.

“He was more than just a drug user. He was a great dad but when he broke up with his partner the heroin took over. He was so upset he couldn’t see his children.

“His life started to change and he was committing crimes and getting sent to prison. I saw him one day with his lip hanging off, he said someone battered him. He carried on using drugs and shoplifting once he’d left jail.

“He was scared of people he owed money to but when he passed away he was doing better than he had in a while because he had a bit of hope. He was a really lovable rogue. He will be sorely missed by everyone, he didn’t deserve this.

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“He was desperate. He wanted a normal life and wanted to be loved and cared for but he was gripped by drugs.”

Matthew Carroll told the inquest how on October 4 he took his brother to the housing office in Camborne and made an appointment with the view of securing accommodation and they then went on to Truro to meet with his probation officer Lorna Coad, adding that he heard him becoming irate with Ms Coad because he believed she had involved social services in his affairs.

Matthew Carroll added that on the way home he hit a curb so left his car near Kerrier Way in Camborne and got a taxi home. At this point he said goodbye to his brother who said he was going to Tesco to get beer and that was the last time they saw each other.

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Ms Coad said that during the visit, Mr Carroll appeared under the influence of drugs and that she left to avoid agitating him further.

Mr Carroll had also overdosed on a prior occasion and in the past engaged with the Addaction charity.

All the witnessed called to the inquest said there was no evidence to suggest Mr Carroll intended to take his own life, leaving senior coroner for Cornwall Emma Carlyon to record a conclusion of a drug and alcohol related death.

She closed the inquest by offering her condolences to the family.

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